Unit 8 Key points summary

Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs. reductions (1) Expansions and reductions are frequently encountered by the translator in the process of translation. Many of the translation skills are related to either of these two points. The major types of expansions or reductions are summarized as follows with examples.

Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs. reductions (2)--Reductions Neither party shall canceled the contract without sufficient cause or reason. 双方均不得无故解除合同。（Reduction of repetitions） The significance of a man is not in what he attains but rather in what he longs to attain. 人生的意义不在于已获取的，而在于渴望获得什么样的东西。(Omission of participants) As the desert is like a sea, so is the camel like a ship. 沙漠似海，骆驼似舟。(Loss of conjunctions) Standing as it does on a high hill, the church commands a nice view. 教堂建在高山上，向下眺望，风景优美。(Reduction of formulas) Part-time job hunters who have worked at a job will receive preference over those who have not. 寻找兼职者，有 工作经验优先聘用。(Extensive ellipsis) 二百公里的航道上，遍布着无数险滩。险滩上，江流汹涌，回旋激荡，水击礁石。浪花飞溅，声如雷鸣。 Numerous shoals scattered over the 200 kms course give rise to many eddies. Pounding on the midstream rocks, the river roars thunderously. (Simplification of repetitious style)

Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs. reductions (2)—Syntactic expansions As agreed, the terms of payment for the above orders are letter(s) of credit of 60 days’ sight or D/P sight draft. 双方同意，上述定货货款以60天期信用证或即期付款交单方式支付。(identification of participants) The failure shook me out of my complacency. 失利使我从自满情绪中惊醒过来。(Identification of objects or events with abstracts) Without a sense of your fault, how can repentance and amendment be expected? 如果对自己的错误都不能认识到，怎么能指望你会悔改呢？(Explicit indications of relationals) Better be wise by the defeat of others than by your own. 从别人的失败中吸取教训比从自己的失败中吸取教训好。(Filling out of ellipses)

Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs Point 1（Activity 1,Task 1): Expansions Vs. reductions (3)—Lexical expansions Mr. Hobbs did’t talk over my suggestions with his brother until yesterday afternoon. 霍布斯先生直到昨天下午才跟他兄弟讨论了我的各项建议。(Filling out of classifiers) Those were the words that were to make the world blossom for me, like “Aaron’s rod, with flowers”. 后来，就是这些词把一个美好的世界展现在我的面前，就像《圣经》上说的“亚伦的伸张开了花”一样。(Descriptive substitutes for objects or events unfamiliar to the receptor) You must come back before nine. Period! 你必须九点以前回来。没有什么可商量的余地。(Semantically reconstructing of some semantically condensed expressions)

Point 2（Activity 1,Task 2): Three ways of testing a translation Three methods are available for testing a translation: 1) the Cloze Technique, 2) the Multiple-choice Technique, and 3) the Reading Aloud Technique. For the detailed explanations of these three methods, please refer to Pages 182 to 183 of the textbook.

Point 3（Activity 1,Task 3): Criteria of judging a translation (1) In spite of many and various criteria of judging a translation, they can all be boiled down to three major factors: 1) correctness, (i.e. being faithful to the original message ), 2) the ease of comprehension (i.e. being intelligible to the target reader), and 3) the involvement the target reader experiences (i.e. being close to the communicative function or the style of the original message ).

Point 3（Activity 1,Task 3): Criteria of judging a translation (2) This paper is our passport to the gallows. But there’s no backing out now. If we don’t hang together, we shall most assuredly hang separately. 这张纸是我们进入刑场的通行证。但是现在被没收了。如果我们不能集体入场，我们肯定会单个进入。 这张纸是我们通往绞刑架的通行证。现在已无退路可走。如果我们不能同舟共济，我们将注定被各个击破。 这张纸片儿就是咱们上绞架的通行证。今儿个谁都不准往后缩。咱们要是不摽到一块儿，保准会吊到一块儿。（范守义译）

Point 4（Activity 2,Tasks 1,2,3,4): Attributive clauses For the differences between English and Chinese on attributive clauses, please refer to Pages 185 to 189 of the textbook.

Point 5（Activity 3,Tasks 1,2,3,4,5): Adverbial clauses For the differences between English and Chinese on adverbial clauses, please refer to Pages 189 to 196 of the textbook.

Point 6（Activity 4,Tasks 1,2,3,4): Cohesion (1) Cohesion (“衔接”) refers to the lexical or grammatical devices which help to construct a group of sentences into a discourse. Cohesion is achieved mainly through four means: 1) reference (“照应”), 2)ellipsis or substitution (“省略或替代”), 3) conjunction (“关联”), and 4) lexical cohesion (“词汇衔接”). English is different from Chinese in the application of cohesive devices, so a translator needs to be aware of such differences in order to accurately reproduce in the receptor text the various logical relations between sentences and paragraphs in the source text.

Point 6（Activity 4,Tasks 1,2,3,4): Cohesion (2) The brothers, as they walked along, squinted their eyes a little, as they and their grandfathers and their great-grandfathers had done for four hundred years, since the first strangers came with argument and authority and gunpowder to back up both. And in the four hundred years Kino’s people had learned only one defense—a slight-slitting of the eyes and slight tightening of the lips and a retirement. Nothing could break down this wall, and they could remain whole within the wall.

Point 6（Activity 4,Tasks 1,2,3,4): Cohesion (3) 亲兄弟俩先前走着的时候微微眯着眼。自从那些外国人挟着说教和权威，以及支持这两者的火药，一来到这里之后，他们，他们的祖父们以及他们的曾祖父们四百年来一直就是这样的。在这四百年中奇诺的同胞只学会了一种防卫的方法—眼睛微微一眯，嘴唇微微紧闭，还有就是退避。什么也不能推倒这堵墙，而他们在墙内可以保全自己 。 这兄弟俩一边走着，一边眯缝着眼睛。400年前，异族人在大炮的支持下，带者权利和说教来到这里。从此，基诺族祖祖辈辈一直眯缝着眼睛。400百年来基诺族只学会一种自卫本领，那就是眯起眼睛，咬紧嘴唇，然后躲起来。这到护身符谁也打不破，在它的保护下，他们能够安然无恙。

Point 7: Combining several short sentences into one sentence (1) Though English sentences are generally longer than those in Chinese, oral English often features short sentences which can in some cases be combined into one Chinese sentences. This translation skill is what is called as “合句译法” in Chinese.

Point 7: Combining several short sentences into one sentence (2)—简单句的合并 She is intelligent,ambitious and hardworking. She is also good at solving problems. 她富有才智，雄心勃勃，工作努力，还善于解决问题。 He is always hungry. He is always poor, out of luck, and friendless. 他总是饥肠辘辘，总是那么可怜，倒霉，没有朋友。 He was shocked. Never before had anyone come home alone, on foot, to his father’s cabin. 他大为震惊，因为过去从来没有人孤身步行去过他父亲的小屋。

Point 7: Combining several short sentences into one sentence (3)—复合句的合并 He found himself trying to suppress a bitterness that was soul-destroying. 他发现自己在竭力抑制损伤灵魂的苦涩。 Many people have married whose chances to do so were much inferior to Miss Martha’s. 许多条件远不如马莎的人都已结了婚。 The diagnosis seems in every case to correspond exactly with all the sensations that I have ever felt. 每次看病的诊断似乎都和我所有的感觉完全相符合。

Point 8: Expressing an idea in the active or passive moods (1) The passive mood is used more frequently in English than in Chinese. Therefore, the passive mood is often transferred into the active mood in the translation from English to Chinese. Meanwhile, on certain occasions, the active mood in English needs to be switched to the passive voice in Chinese to respect the latter’s custom. Thus “转态译法” is involved.

Point 8: Expressing an idea in the active or passive moods (2)—被动转主动 The importance of oceanography as a key to the understanding of our planet is seldom appreciated. 海洋学是认识我们星球的关键，其重要性人们却很少了解。（主语--主语） Heat is constantly produced by the body as a result of muscular and cellular activity. 由于肌肉和细胞活动的结果，身体不断地产生热。（主语—宾语） I was raised in an orphans’ home and when I was eight they farmed me out to a tough family. 我是在孤儿院里长大的。8岁那年，他们把我寄养在一户待人凶狠的人家。（转换成带表语的主动句）

Point 8: Expressing an idea in the active or passive moods (3) –主动转被动 His dismissal turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 他被解雇反而证明是一件好事。 The prisoner flung himself on the rocks below, where the fierce waves claimed him immediately. 囚犯纵身跳到下面的岩石上，立即被巨浪所吞没。 The newspaper became worn and torn from so much handling. 因为传得太多，报纸都给磨破了。

Why not do the supplementary exercises for further practice Why not do the supplementary exercises for further practice? The keys and comments are also provided for your reference.